The Primary 
Department 


ETHEL J. ARCHIBALD 


: es |The “Times” Handbooks 
- © for Sunday-School 
tire Number 4 


THE LIBRARY OF 


REVEREND Harry M. NorTH 


GRADUATE OF THE CLASS OF 1899 
TRUSTEE 1919-1932 


DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
DURHAM, N. C. 


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_https://archive.org/details/primarydepartmen 1 


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BY 
ETHEL J. ARCHIBALD 


The Sunday School Times Company 
Philadelphia, Pa. 


CopyRIGHT, 1907, 
BY 
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CONTENTS 


CHAPTER I 
THE ORGANIZATION OF A PRIMARY DEPARTMENT. . 


CHAPTER II 
THE ADVANTAGES OF A SUBDIVIDED DEPARTMENT . 


CHAPTER III 
OSSD iene see Cos Oa Ae eres 


CHAPTER IV 
OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES ........ 


POPPERS Se! hs Aco Sy create «bs ek 


CHAPTER VI 
[ME SESSION PROGRAM =. . .$//,. .. <Y. c-. 


CHAPTER VII 
PROGRAMS FOR THE BEGINNERS’ CLASSES eke abst te 


CHAPTER VIII 
PROGRAMS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS ....... 


CHAPTER IX 


250756 


vi Contents 


CHAPTER X 

‘THE TRAINING CLASS ~~. 39) 2 eG eee 
CHAPTER XI 

HOME CO-OPERATION . . =. . 5 « ))entnnneneEe 


CHAPTER XII 
PRAYERS FOR USE IN THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT. . 84 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING 
PAGE 
SAND-DRAY EXPRESSION §/2 = = «cu seneneenneneaes 
THE OPENING EXERCISES +: '), 7). 2. 2) nee 
THE FouR-YEAR-OLD BEGINNERS ....... .42 
SEORY TIME  .{. 2 '.94 0. «AS 


THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD BEGINNERS ....... .72 


CHAPTER I 
THE ORGANIZATION OF A PRIMARY DEPARTMENT 


The Primary Department of the Sunday- 
school includes the children from the time of 
naming until they are eight years of age. There 
are three distinct divisions: 

I. THe Crappie DEPARTMENT, including the 
children from the time of naming to four 
years of age. 

2. THE BErcINNERS’ DEPARTMENT, including 
the children from four to six years of age. 

3. THE Primary DEPARTMENT PROPER, in- 
cluding the children from six to eight 
years of age. 

All these divisions are under the supervision 
of one leader, the Superintendent of the Pri- 
mary Department. 

The Cradle Department.—The members of 
the Cradle Department are the little ones who 
are still too young to attend the Sunday ses- 
sion, but who are regarded as Sunday-school 
scholars since their names are placed upon the 
Cradle Roll which hangs on the wall of the 
Primary Department room. The wise Superin- 
tendent will not, as a rule, permit children 


2 The Primary Department 


under four years of age to attend the Sunday 
session. 

The Beginners’ Department.—This depart- 
ment has two grades, the-four-year-old and the 
five-year-old. These grades are subdivided into 
classes only if the number in a grade exceeds 
twenty. The Beginners meet with the other 
Primary Department children for the opening 
and closing exercises, but they separate for the 
lesson time and go to rooms by themselves, 
each grade to a separate room, so that the dif- 
ferent ages may have their own lesson under 
suitable conditions. 

In many schools the Beginners have a sep- 
arate organization. They gather in a room 
of their own, and have their own superin- 
tendent, officers, and specialized exercises. 
Where this plan of organization is followed the 
Beginners’ Department should break up when 
lesson time comes into graded divisions. If the 
room is large enough and can be well divided 
by a screen, two of the divisions may remain in’ 
it for the lesson time, but other divisions must 
have rooms by themselves. Whichever plan of 
organization is followed there should be in each 
division of the Beginners’ Department a regular 
class teacher or leader and also two or three 
young people, helpers, or watchers, in training 
for class teaching in the Primary Department 


Organization of a Primary Department 3 


proper, later on. Where the Beginners’ De- 
partment is a separate organization, one of the 
leaders should act as superintendent of the 
department. 

The Primary Department Proper.—Here the 
children are also graded according to age. 
There are three grades, the six-year-old, the 
seven-year-old and the eight-year-old. These 
grades are subdivided into small classes, which 
are given into the charge of young teachers. 
Each class is limited to four or possibly three 
scholars. Since the teachers are young this 
limitation is found to be necessary. The com- 
munity spirit among the children is not neces- 
sarily lost as a consequence of the subdivision. 
This is fostered in the opening and closing 
exercises. 


CHAPTER II 
THE ADVANTAGES OF A SUBDIVIDED DEPARTMENT 


I. It allows of grading.—Everyone will 
agree that the same material and methods are 
not equally suitable for children of four and 
children of eight years of age. The little one, 
whose interests are the home, the simple toys, 
the daily walk, the wonder-world around him, 
develops into the school-boy who spends his 
spare time playing marbles, spinning tops or 
imitating the more dignified games of the older 
boys. Students of the child mind point out 
that the literary interest of the little child is, 
above all, in fairy and folk-lore stories; the 
wonder tales of one kind or another. Later on 
this gives place to interest in stories of daily 
life, stories in which the human element is 
large, and which have, moreover, a definite 
moral content. If this is true, it is obvious that 
we must choose our lesson material to suit 
these differing ages. To the Beginners we 
must give the wonder stories of nature and the 
Bible; to those older, the more human and per- 
sonal stories from the Bible and daily life. 

Our methods, too, must be different. For 

4 


Advantages of a Subdivided Department 5 


the tiny ones the plot of the story must be ex- 
ceedingly straightforward and the words sim- 
ple; the older ones may be given something 
more complex and advanced. While a little 
child will play spontaneously and naturally a 
simple Bible or nature game, a boy of eight, 
having outgrown all baby play, will be awk- 
ward, self-conscious, and inclined to laugh at 
such a performance, and the beauty and rever- 
ence of it all will be lost. We must present 
truth to the children in the wisest and most 
natural way, through the constantly opening 
door of developing interest and need. To do 
this we need graded classes. Children in ap- 
proximately the same stage of mental develop- 
ment must be grouped together. This is not an 
easy task to accomplish, for each child has his 
own endowment and his different environment. 
At first we can only group according to age, 
but later on, as we come to know the individual 
characteristics of the children, we can gradually 
rearrange the classes so that children of com- 
paratively equal mental ability may be together. 

2. It forms a practise school for young 
teachers.—This is what we have been seeking 
for all along surely; a training ground where 
the young people all the way from fifteen to 
twenty years of age can begin to teach with- 
out fear or apprehension. It seems to them a 


6 The Primary Department 


comparatively easy task to take a class of three 
or four little children. If, all inexperienced, 
a young person is asked to teach a class of seven 
or eight boys between ten and twelve years 
of age, or to conduct the whole infant class, 
numbering perhaps sixty children, he most nat- 
urally shrinks from the undertaking. But what 
could be more desirable than a class of three 
or four little children, dear little ones, sitting 
there hungry for a story? To such conditions 
the young people come willingly, eagerly, and 
begin to learn to teach under the guidance of 
the department superintendent. Perhaps, just 
at first, they merely watch or help with the lit- 
tle ones in the Beginners’ rooms, but very soon 
they are given their own tiny classes. Being at 
a teachable age, they take up suggestions 
quickly and adapt themselves readily to circum- 
stances. In the circle of their own cosy little 
classes they can tell their stories without fear 
of being listened to by any one who might 
criticise. Gradually they gain confidence; the 
words come more fluently and the ideas, too. 
Soon they are able to fill in more detail and pic- 
ture out more clearly. Soon, too, they come to | 
know the children individually; they study 
them in the class and visit them in the home, 
and after a while come to understand the 
methods and material that most readily interest 


Advantages of a Subdivided Department 7 


and reach the little ones in the circle. Later 
on, when the Sunday-school Superintendent, 
needing a teacher upon whom he can rely, 
appeals to the Primary Department superin- 
tendent for help, she can confidently give him 
one of her older pupil teachers ; and this teacher 
will go forth without hesitation to take a re- 
sponsible place in the Sunday-school, made 
strong by the knowledge and experience gained 
while with the little ones. 

3. It helps to create the right atmosphere 
for the Sunday-school session.—At the open- 
ing music of the Primary Department session 
the classes of children walk into the room with 
their teachers, imitating almost unconsciously 
the quiet attitude and something of the dignity 
of those in authority. Previously, in the lobby, 
under the direction of the class teacher, the 
children’s wraps have been taken off and hung 
upon labeled pegs. All such things as gloves, 
pennies, handkerchiefs, have been carefully 
tucked away or taken care of by the class 
teacher, and thus some causes of the “fussing” 
so common in infant Sunday-schools are re- 
moved. Consequently the atmosphere is com- 
paratively untroubled, and the room is filled 
with quiet reverence. All through the service, 
for this is truly the children’s service, the chil- 
dren, whether praying, singing, listening or 


8 The Primary Department 


exercising are unconsciously influenced by the 
presence of their own class teacher. It is, of 
course, the teacher’s first duty to observe in 
detail and in the most childlike manner every 
action and form which may be part of the ses- 
sion program; for example, bowing the 
head, folding the hands, standing up at the 
signal of the piano chord, etc. Here we have 
one of the secrets of discipline. There is no 
undue coercion on the part of the teacher or 
superintendent; the children are allowed to 
be natural and free. They engage in the exer- 
cises, either because they like them, or because 
others in the little community take part in 
them. The teachers lead in the creation of an 
atmosphere of sympathy and co-operation, with 
the result that every child is won by it sooner 
or later. 

4. It makes possible the consideration of 
individual scholars—Where the undivided 
class plan is followed, the children who are 
quiet, reserved, serious-minded, are more often 
than not overlooked in the crowd. Those who 
are quick to grasp an idea and who show by 
their faces that they are eager for what is to 
come are apt to catch the teacher’s attention 
and lead her on faster than the reticent child 
is able to follow. Where the classes are small 
each teacher can come to know the individual 


Advantages of a Subdivided Department 9 


scholars in her class comparatively well. 
Through visiting at the homes, by chatting 
with the children before and after the school 
assembles, by careful observation throughout 
the session, especially during the lesson teach- 
ing, the class teacher is able to discover the 
characteristics of each scholar under her care. 
Thus it becomes possible for her to adapt her 
material, method or manner so that every mem- 
ber of her class, no matter how reserved, may 
receive his rightful share of attention and be 
made to feel completely at home. 

5. It gives opportunity for self-expression 
on the part of the children.—Froebel teaches 
us that lessons through and by work are by far 
the most impressive and intelligible. This is 
because the child so far from merely taking in 
knowledge has the opportunity to do and give 
out, to express himself. If, in our teaching 
work, we wish to do the best for the child, we 
must give him the chance to learn by and 
through some action of his own. Many ways 
present themselves by which this may be ac- 
complished. If he is not too old he can play 
or act out the story with the help of his com- 
rades and the teacher. He can make a picture 
of it either in sand, or by drawing with pencil 
or chalk. He can, perhaps, make some object 
which is intimately connected with the heart of 


10 The Primary Department 


the lesson by modeling in plasticine, or by 
building with blocks. For these activities the 
divided classes are necessary. After the lesson 
story is told, each class teacher brings from un- 
derneath her chair whatever material has been 
selected and provided beforehand for the chil- 
dren’s expression. It takes but a moment to 
get three or four little sand trays safely placed 
upon the knees of three or four little children, 
and in an amazingly short time, the whole de- 
partment is hard at the delightful task of pic- 
ture making. It is comparatively easy to super- 
intend the work of three or four children, but 
in order to carry out these methods with fifty 
or seventy-five under one teacher, some rather 
rigid discipline would have to be used; even 
then it could scarcely be accomplished in the 
limited time allowed for the lesson. 

We can see, then, how by dividing and grad- 
ing, the Primary Department may become a 
place where the children are delightfully and 
naturally educated in moral and spiritual things, 
and not only this, but also a center for training 
the older boys and girls, to which we may 
look for at least the partial solution of two 
problems, namely, where to find efficient 
teachers, and how to put our young people to 
work. \ 


CHAPTER III 
REQUISITES 


In considering the question of accommoda- 
tion and paraphernalia for Primary Department 
work let us suppose that we have seventy-five 
children and twenty-five officers, teachers and 
helpers present at the Sunday session. In the 
Primary Department proper there are forty- 
five children, fifteen in a grade, three in a 
class. In the Beginners’ Department, fifteen in 
a grade, fifteen in a class. This arrangement 
makes necessary at least twenty-five officers, 
teachers and helpers, as follows: (1) Superin- 
tendent; (2) Assistant Superintendent; (3) 
Secretary-Treasurer;. (4) Pianist; (5) Two 
leaders of Beginners’ classes; (6) Four young 
helpers (two for each Beginners’ class); (7) 
Fifteen young teachers. 

To accommodate all these there should be 
four rooms: (1) the main Primary room where 
all meet for opening and closing exercises, and 
where the children six to eight years old have 
their lesson time. (2) The four-year-old Begin- 
ners’ class room. (3) The five-year-old Begin- 


ners’ class room. (4) The lobby or cloak room. 
II 


12 The Primary Department 


The main Primary room should be equal to 
35 feet square, and each Beginners’ room about 
18 feet square. All these should have good high 
ceilings and be bright and well ventilated. The 
walls should be decorated in such a way that 
the pictures which the children know and love 
may, when hung, show up to the best advan- 
tage. Noiseless block floors are preferable to 
any others, but where these cannot be had the 
floor should be carpeted or covered with cork 
or linoleum. 

For seating there should be a hundred and 
fifteen small chairs of at least three heights. 
The feet of each child should rest upon the 
floor while he sits well back in the chair. It is 
always well to have the chairs measured to 
the sizes of the children. The number stated 
allows sufficient chairs for children, teachers, 
and helpers to assemble in the main Primary 
room, and fifteen extra for the five-year-old 
Beginners’ room. These extra are necessary in 
order that there may be no confusion or dis- 
turbance of moving chairs during the session. - 
No chairs are needed for the four-year-old Be- 
ginners’ room; the little ones are much more 
at home on the floor; therefore a large rug or 
art square should be provided instead. 

There should be no platform of any sort in 
any of the rooms. 


“NOISSSYdX3 AVYL GNVS 


Requtsites 13 


Other furniture and appliances necessary to 
a well organized Primary Department are as 
follows: 


10 


II 


FOR THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT PROPER 


A piano. 

Two small tables, one for the superinten- 
dent, and one for the secretary. 

A cupboard or museum to hold models, 
objects of interest collected by children or 
teachers, specimens of children’s hand- 
work, etc., etc. 

One large blackboard for superintendent’s 
use. 

White and colored chalk. 

White, rough paper suitable for drawing 
purposes cut into sheets about 10x8 inches. 
Black lead pencils and assorted colored 
crayons, sufficient for each child. 

Four dozen hard mill boards each 15x12 
inches and not more than one-eighth of an 
inch thick (to be used as drawing or mod- 
eling boards). 

One large sand tray for superintendent’s 
use. This should be about 40x30 inches, 
and 3 inches deep. 

Four dozen individual sand trays, each 
about I2xIo inches. 

Enough moulder’s brown or red sand to 


14 


12 


13 
14 


15 


The Primary Department 


fill the trays. This sand must be unused 
and sifted. It can easily be obtained at a 
foundry. 

Blocks (kindergarten gift blocks) enough 
for use in large sand trays. A large num- 
ber of tiny blocks for use in the children’s 
individual sand-trays. 

Ten pounds plasticine. 

Cradle Roll material: One tiny doll’s cra- 
dle, one Cradle Roll, Cradle Roll certifi- 
cates and birthday cards. 

Pictures. Three sizes may be used; a 
large size suitable for showing from the 
desk, and for wall decoration; a medium 
size, for the use of the class teacher, and 
a small size, for lesson souvenirs to be tak- 
en home by the children: Cards, books, or 
other material for recording attendance. 


For THE BEGINNERS’ RoOM 


Light weight kindergarten tables for the 
five-year-old room. 

For each room a large sand-tray, at least 
40x30 inches and 3 inches deep, and raised 
a suitable height from the floor by legs 
with castors. (Tray removable from legs is 
preferable). 

For each room a dozen and a half small 
individual blackboards, about 15x12 inches. 


NAM 


Requisites 
Chalk. 
Blocks enough for use in sand-trays. 


Pictures. 
Material for recording attendance. 


15 


CHAPTER IV 
OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES 


The officers of the Primary Department 
should usually be as follows: (1) Superinten- 
dent; (2) Assistant Superintendent; (3) Sec- 
retary-Treasurer; (4) Pianist; (5) Leader of 
four-year-old Beginners’ class; (6) leader of 
five-year-old Beginners’ class; (7) the young 
teachers; (8) Helpers; (9) Cradle Roll Super- 
intendent; (10) Doorkeeper. 

The Superintendent.—Upon the superintend- 
ent, of course, depends the success of the whole 
Primary Department. This officer must be 
manager, organizer, leader, and teacher ; one re- 
sourceful and responsible, to whom all the oth- 
ers can look for direction and inspiration. Upon 
her falls the task of grading and dividing the 
classes, of assigning them to different teachers, 
and of arranging occupation for the helpers. 
She sees to the promoting or transferring of 
scholars; sends out all letters of invitation or 
welcome to new scholars or to any member 
of the Cradle Department who may have be- 
come old enough te attend the Sunday session. 
Each Sunday’s program is carefully planned 

16 


Officers and Their Duties 17 


out by her beforehand; indeed, the greater part 
of her work is accomplished before Sunday ar- 
rives. 

The superintendent of the department is also 
the leader of the young teachers’ training class. 
One night a week she meets them for Bible 
study and lesson preparation. Before dismiss- 
ing the class she is always satisfied that every 
teacher will go to his children on the Sunday 
with his lesson systematically and intelligently 
prepared. When Sunday comes she knows 
that there will be a teacher for every class, that 
the pianist will certainly be in his place, that 
the little chairs have been correctly arranged, 
that there are sufficient seats provided for visi- 
tors. When the young teachers arrive for the 
Sunday-school session they find her waiting 
there to greet them. 

The superintendent, of course, conducts the 
opening and closing exercises of the session. It 
is her duty to teach the new hymns, to review, 
sometimes, the lesson of last Sunday, to reg- 
ulate the time for the class teaching; to wel- 
come new scholars and assign them to Classes. 

The Assistant Superintendent—The one 
who holds this office is practically in training 
for the position of superintendent. She aids the 
superintendent in the discharge of her many 
duties and receives any visitors who may come 


18 The Primary Department 


to the Sunday session. If at any time the su- 
perintendent is unable to be present, the assist- 
ant is ready to fill her place and carry on the 
school as usual. 

The Secretary-Treasurer.—The duties of a 
Primary Department secretary-treasurer are 
the ordinary ones. He keeps a record of the 
attendance by means of some system which 
will never cause delay or the least disturbance 
in the Primary room. He takes charge of all 
tickets, papers, and collections, and makes all 
necessary reports. Much of his work is done 
at the weekly training class; most of his work 
which has to be done on the Sunday, such as 
distributing attendance cards, notices, tickets, 
or papers, is done in the lobby before and after 
the session, while the teachers are receiving 
and dismissing their children. During the ses- 
sion he quietly takes his post at the table near 
the door and acts the part of protector to the 
department. 

The Pianist.—This officer cannot well be one 
who has other duties during the Primary De- 
partment session. He is playing the piano 
when the children enter the room, and every 
few minutes during the opening exercises. The 
children depend upon his chords as the signals 
for rising, turning, or sitting. During the les- 
son time he is still busy. He plays a quiet 


Officers and Their Duties 19 


melody while the classes are grouping them- 
selves, and, after this the teachers depend upon 
his soft strains for the division of the time and 
the warning to finish. Again he plays for 
them to move their chairs and immediately 
afterward begins a march for the returning Be- 
ginners. He is constantly at his post during 
the closing exercises, and to the music of his 
final march the children leave the room. The 
Primary Department pianist should be able to 
play really well and be capable of helping the 
superintendent with suggestions for hymns, 
marches and lesson music. 

The Leaders of the Beginners’ Classes.—For 
the four and five-year-old children it is well, 
whenever possible, to have teachers who are 
trained as kindergartners—and this not only for 
the sake of the children, but also for the sake of 
the young helpers and watchers who receive in 
these Beginners’ classes their first object les- 
sons in teaching. Failing, however, to secure 
the help of such, it is necessary to choose for 
this office persons who are motherly and thor- 
oughly sympathetic with the little child, who 
are capable of getting down to the plane of his 
experience and entering heartily into his inter- 
ests. 

The Young Teachers.—The teachers are, of 
course, responsible for the children in their re- 


20 The Primary Department 


spective classes from the time the children en- 
ter the school building until they leave it. They 
meet the children in the lobby, help them off 
with their wraps and chat with them until it 
is time to line up for entering the Primary 
room. They sit with their classes throughout 
the session, and engage in the exercises with 
the children. If the system of recording attend- 
ance demands it, they mark the cards or books 
given them in the lobby or as they enter the 
room, by the secretary. During the teaching 
time they tell the lesson story of the day, some- 
times reviewing last Sunday’s lesson as a pre- 
paration for it; they also conduct the children’s 
expression of the lesson story. When the 
school is dismissed they help the children on 
with their wraps and send them home. They 
are responsible, too, for the visiting of their 
scholars. If a child has been absent for three 
or four Sundays they receive from the secre- 
tary a card printed as follows: 


Namie Dior sad bees ee le Sees 

PIMdSESS Ie oeciee ee ae ee eee 
has been absent for ...... Sundays. Please 
visit, find out reason for absence and report at 


the next training class. 


Superintendent. 


Officers and Their Duties 21 


The Helpers.—The helpers in the classes of 
Beginners have little responsibility. They 
simply sit in the ring with the children and 
make themselves generally useful. 

The Cradle Roll Superintendent.—The work 
of this officer is done principally during 
the week among the babies who are too 
young to attend Sunday-school. Her duty is 
to call at the homes of the parents who attend 
the church, and of those in the district who do 
not attend any place of worship, with a cordial 
invitation for any baby or babies therein to be- 
come members of the Cradle Department of 
the Sunday-school. Ifa parent accepts this in- 
vitation the Cradle Department Superintendent 
fills in an enrolment certificate with the baby’s 
name. This is sent to the home or given to the 
baby’s brother or sister. On the following 
Sunday the baby’s name is brought to the su- 
perintendent of the Primary Department dur- 
ing the opening exercises, and afterward placed 
upon the Cradle Roll. From time to time, as 
the birthdays come around, the Cradle Depart- 
ment Superintendent takes a pretty picture or 
some other remembrance to the baby at home. 

The Doorkeeper.—One of the young helpers, 
preferably a boy, may be chosen for this office. 
He should stay at his post from the beginning 
to the end of the session. 


CHAPTER VW 
ATMOSPHERE 


A little child learns largely by indirection. 
He absorbs more from the atmosphere of the 
environment in which he lives than from any 
formal lessons which may be given him. Pat- 
terson DuBois says: “We often speak of the 
advantages of living in an art atmosphere, a 
musical, literary, scientific, or other intellectual 
or effective atmosphere. It is our indirect 
training which we feel to be not only congenial 
but essential. Yet we seldom realize its po- 
tency as a method of child-training.” The aim 
and object of the Primary leader should be to 
create in her department an atmosphere rever- 
ent, devotional, and elevating. Many leaders of 
schools who-give attention and carefmlattention 
to theiteachimg ofiformal lessons; fail just at 
thiscp6intibsMoselt rbverence, gratitude, love, 
praise;tindeett}amore zeal religion may be devel- 
oped in the'athildten during the opening and 
closing exercises than by a splendidly given les- 
son. But the right atmosphere is most difficult 
to create, and when once secured most easily 
dispelled. Every detail of the child’s environ- 

22 


Atmosphere 23 


ment during the session must be carefully ar- 
ranged and cared for. The room in which the 
children meet for their service should be beau- 
tiful; beautiful not only by virtue of its suitable 
and tasteful adornment, of its brightness and 
airiness, but also by virtue of its state of perfect 
arrangement and readiness. It should breathe 
an atmosphere of sacred and sweet quietness, 
so that the children on entering are at once im- 
pressed and involuntarily assume, both men- 
tally and physically, the attitude that seems fit- 
ting in such a place. The best atmosphere can 
never be obtained in a room where the children 
are allowed to meet and talk and play before 
the beginning of the session. Such a room can- 
not be turned instantly into a place of worship. 
The room must be reserved and guarded jeal- 
ously until the time for the school to begin. 
The children should assemble somewhere out- 
side, in the cloakroom or lobby. 

Music, as everyone knows, has very great 
power to influence the child. To make for rev- 
erence, to help him in his worship, it must be 
very carefully chosen. Much of it should sure- 
ly be bright and cheery, but much also should 
be serious and even solemn. In the desire for 
songs and hymns which interest the children 
we are naturally apt to choose those in which 
the music is light and bright and “catchy.” 


24 The Primary Department 


While we do want the “sunny climate” which 
these create in the Primary school, we must not 
forget that if this sort of music is used ex- 
clusively, there may be engendered after a time 
a spirit that is flippant or even boisterous. Such 
music as the tune of “Jesus, Tender Shepherd, 
Hear Me,” Integer Vitae and Weber; marches 
which convey a suggestion of something state- 
ly; quieting music that is serene and soft and 
sweetly solemn, if used in connection with 
these, preserve the balance, and the children 
are led to feel that they are in the presence of 
that which is great and high and wonderful. 
Elizabeth Harrison says: “The effect of the 
body upon the mind is not generally appre- 
ciated. That a sound mind can work freely, a 
well-balanced character develop fully, only in 
a sound body, is admitted by all; but the more 
subtle influence is not so easily comprehended. 
Of equal importance is this other side of the 
question. If mind or soul acts upon the body, 
the outward gesture and attitude also react 
upon the inward feeling.” If this is true of the 
adult it is much more true of the little child. In 
order that the children may develop the spirit 
of reverence it is of the utmost importance that — 
we give attention to the outward form. The 
devotional attitude leads to devout feeling. The 
gentle folding of the hands, the closing of the 


Atmosphere 25 


eyes, brings the child into prayerful mood. In 
helping to lead the children to assume the out- 
_ward forms of reverence and worship the 
young teachers have a very great responsibility. 
The child lives largely under the hypnotic 
power of suggestion. He is constantly imitat- 
ing those about him and particularly those old- 
er than himself. The demeanor of his teacher, 
her manner of standing and walking, her every 
gesture and tone of voice, her attitude while at 
prayer; all these he closely observes and imi- 
tates. The least spirit of levity or flippancy, 
the smallest carelessness of attitude or action, 
is instantly noticed by him and then the spell 
is broken. 

But it is with the superintendent herself that 
the great responsibility rests. It is for her to 
lead the young teachers to a higher appreciation 
of the child-soul and to help them to under- 
stand something of the delicate organism with 
which they have to work. Upon her devolves 
the duty of guarding her department from any 
harsh or discordant note that may mar its 
beauty and dispel the fine atmosphere. She 
must be on the watch for the errors of com- 
mission rather more than for those of omission. 
She must guard against all interruptions, 
against anything that would make an interrup- 
tion possible, against any method of record- 


26 The Primary Department 


ing attendance, taking collection or distribut- 
ing papers, which would bring a disturbing ele- 
ment into any of the exercises. Before all else 
she must bea guardian, a protector. In asense 
the superintendent must even guard the depart- 
ment against her own personality. She is lead- 
er, director, and head teacher, and is recognized 
by the children as such. Up to a certain point, 
her personality is of value. As she leads the 
children impressively in the exercises her pres- 
ence has a refining and dignifying influence on 
the atmosphere of the room. But she must 
have a care, lest she should go too far. In her 
anxiety to manage things well she may over- 
step the limit of her own sphere, and intrude 
upon the individuality of the child. Pat- 
terson DuBois says: “Our child training is 
too talky, too noisy, and too full of command.” 
Good taste and fine insight are greatly needed 
at this point. In the work of education the 
teacher’s care should be, not to stamp her per- 
sonality upon the child and attempt to make 
him after her pattern, but rather to draw out 
his individuality and assist in its development. 

Practical experience in conducting a depart- 
ment on the methods outlined in this book has 
shown the following to be some of the chief 
hindrances to right atmosphere: 

A Lack of Preparation.—All arrangements of 


Atmosphere 27 


the room and the material for exercises and 
work of one kind and another must be made by 
the superintendent and teachers beforehand. 
Everything must be in a state of perfect read- 
iness by the time for the session to begin. 

Want of Close Grading—Most disorder in 
any department of the Sunday-school comes 
from the older children of the grade. Develop- 
ment from childhood into boyhood and girlhood 
is very rapid during the eighth and ninth year. 
If children are allowed to remain in the depart- 
ment until the ninth or tenth year, they will 
tire of the childish occupations of the depart- 
ment, and disinterest and unrest will be sure to 
follow. With some children, the development 
is more rapid than with others. The leader, 
knowing this, must be ready occasionally to 
promote a child from the Primary to the Junior 
Department without waiting for the formal 
promotion Sunday. If this is not done, one 
child may possibly defeat all the efforts of the 
leader to secure the right atmosphere. 

Too Large a Department.—Experience shows 
that a department of one hundred children is 
quite as large as any one leader or organization 
can conduct to the best advantage. If there are 
one hundred and fifty children, it will be better 
to have two complete organizations, meeting 
in separate rooms, or at different times. 


28 The Primary Department 


Indifferent Music.—A discordant piano, a 
poor pianist, unfortunately chosen music and 
songs, hymns or tunes that are too well-known, 
all tend to dispel right atmosphere. Whenever 
the singing has a tendency to become boister- 
ous, through familiarity, that hymn should be 
put aside for a time. New hymns must be con- 
stantly taught, and new tunes and marches in- 
troduced. 

Doggerel Instead of Poetry.—All children 
naturally love poetry, and only the very choic- 
est should be used in the hymns and prayers 
of the department. Fortunately in these days 
there is much of the really good that is suitable 
to the little child. The leader must be on the 
lookout all the time for the very best, and be 
ever ready to substitute it for the common- 
place. 

The Undignified “Don’t.”—-Children who are 
busy doing, do not need to be told what not 
to do. 

Addresses by Outsiders.—There is no place 
in the Primary Department session for re- 
marks or addresses by visitors or strangers. 
Whenever this has been tried the result has 
been unsatisfactory. 

It is only by much foresight and careful ar- 
rangement of conditions and detail that right 
atmosphere can be secured. The superinten- 


Atmosphere 29 


dent who appreciates the value of atmosphere 
will consider no detail too insignificant to be 
overlooked and will leave no stone unturned in 
her effort to secure the very best environment 
for her department. Where the atmosphere is 
right, there will rarely be need of formal disci- 
pline. 


CHAPTER VI 
THE SESSION PROGRAM 


The session program should not be one 
invariable order of exercises used Sunday after 
Sunday, but rather a series of items carefully 
chosen each separate week and correlated as 
nearly as possible with the season of the year 
and the lesson of the day. It should be very 
carefully prepared. Each detail should be thor- 
oughly thought out and arranged for before- 
hand. Variety is necessary to hold the interest 
of the children, therefore the places of the dif- 
ferent items should be changed from*week to 
week and always arranged so that the children 
may not have too much of the same sort of 
thing at a time. Hymns or action songs should 
alternate with the prayers, Scripture read- 
ing, etc., and just before the lesson time there 
should be plenty of physical exercise to prepare 
for the long sitting. 

The prayer-verses should be so simple that 
the children can understand them without ex- 
planation or else they should be the outcome of 
the lesson story and made clear and plain by it. 
They may be taught by simple use, the superin- 

30 


The Session Program 31 


tendent leading the children in them from week 
to week until all are familiar with the words; 
thenceforward leader and children can repeat 
them in concert. 

For the Scripture reading, which, unless it 
comes after the lesson should never be chosen 
from the lesson material, the leader shou!d se- 
lect some of the more simple and beautiful pas- 
sages of Scripture (always very short ones) 
from which the children can get some idea of 
the meaning without having it explained to 
them. It will not matter that they cannot 
grasp it all; indeed it is rather a good thing for 
the child to feel that the Bible is a book con- 
taining something more than the beautiful sto- 
ries which his teacher tells him; something 
which, as yet, he cannot understand. 

Before the words of a new hymn are taught 
the children should be introduced to the sub- 
ject matter of it. This can be done by an in- 
formal talk, a series of questions, a brief story, 
or a picture talk in which the leader uses, wher- 
ever possible and natural, the words of the 
hymn. After this the children will learn the 
verses readily. When the first verse has been 
learned the children may listen while the hymn 
tune is played, softly and distinctly, to discover 
if they can hear the music speak the words. 
(This will be made easier if the children are al- 


32 The Primary Department 


lowed to hear the tune beforehand in the form 

of quieting or lesson music, or as a march). 
Then it may be played a second time, while the 
leader softly sings the words or speaks them 
with low tones in time to the music. By this 
time the children will be ready to sing it them- 
selves. 

The session program may last at least one 
hour and a quarter. ‘The following is suggested 
as a program: 

With the first strains of the opening march, 
the children and teachers who have been 
waiting in the hall in their class groups, step 
into the room, and march to their places, the 
youngest class of Beginners leading. The mu- 
sic continues until the children are all seated, 
and gradually, impressively, dies away to com- ~ 
plete silence. The superintendent stands all 
this time to receive the children as they enter, 
and now she gives her afternoon greeting to 
them all together: “Good afternoon, children.” 

They respond at once: “Good afternoon, Miss 


” 


Now the pianist plays a chord, full and dis- 
tinct, and the children rise as one body, ready 
to sing. A few bars of “Sabbath Morning 
Bells’”* played softly tell them what to sing. 


*“Songs for Little People,” by Danielson and Con- 
ant. 


*S3SIONSX3 ONINSdO 3HL 


. 


0 Re ET 
atl =~ 


The Session Program 33 


The first note is struck once more and the chil- 
dren raise their voices heartily. As the song 
proceeds the voices become softer and softer 
until at the end they are hushed almost to whis- 
pers. A soft chord is the signal for sitting. 

After this the superintendent takes from the 
table the familiar Bible, and reverently opening 
it in the sight of all, reads the ninety-fifth 
Psalm. 


“O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make 
a joyful noise unto the rock of our salvation. 

“Let us come before His presence with thanks- 
giving and make a joyful noise unto Him with 
Psalms. 

“For the Lord is a great God, and a King above 
all gods. 

“Tn His hand are the deep places of the earth; 
the sea is His, and He made it; and His hands 
formed the dry land. 

“O come, let us worship, and bow down; let us 
kneel before the Lord our Maker.” 


Now by the superintendent’s action comes 
the suggestion: “Hands together, heads bowed 
and eyes closed,” and the children are led in 
prayer. 


“Heavenly Father, ever loving, 
Hear Thy children as we pray. 
Fill our hearts with love and kindness, 
Guard and keep us through the day. 


34. The Primary Department 


From Thy hand come all our blessings, 
All good gifts are from above. 

We remember all Thy goodness, 
And give thanks for all thy love.” 


The next item is a praise song: 
“ All thanks to our Father, all praise to our King.” 


This is followed by the cradle exercise. The 
superintendent places on the table a tiny doll’s 
cradle, remarking as she does so: “I wonder if 
there are any babies for our cradle to-day.” 
She looks about the room, and discovers a hand 
held high, displaying a small slip of paper. The 
owner of it, a small boy of seven, comes quick- 
ly forward and places the bit of paper in the 
wee cradle and then stands by the superinten- 
dent’s side while she finds out what name is on 
the slip. “Yes, a new baby girl for our Cradle 
Roll. Shall we read her name?” The name is 
read to the children, and the proud brother of 
the new baby is given a cradle certificate to take 
home to the little one. When he has returned 
to his seat, the heads bow gently, and all 
sing the following verses from the Cradle Roll 
prayer song: 


“Father, now we thank Thee for this little child, 
Thou hast given her to us, on her Thou hast 
smiled. 


The Session Program 35 


“When the babes are waking, stretching arms so 
wide, 

Father, then watch o’er them, be Thou by their 
side. 


“When the babes are sleeping, Father, guard their 
bed, 
May the wings of angels over them be spread.” * 


The time now comes for the Beginners to go 
to their own class rooms. The pianist gives the 
signal and plays the march, the other children 
remain quietly seated until all the little ones 
have departed. 

The next feature is the taking of the offering 
(the Beginners have this exercise in their own 
rooms). The superintendent stands before the 
class with a glass bowl in her hand. She se- 
lects one child to come forward and hold it; 
then two new chords are played, the children 
rise, turn and march about the room, dropping 
the pennies into the bowl as they pass, singing: 
“Little Gifts for Jesus.”+ When all are seated 
once more, the superintendent gives the signal 
for the teachers to take their classes. Imme- 
diately the pianist begins to play and the trans- 
ferring is done to music. 

When the music ceases the room is quiet, 


*Sunday Songs for Little Singers, by Carey Bon- 
ner. 
7“Song of the Seasons,” by Lucy G. Stick. 


36 The Primary Department 


except for a subdued murmur of voices, as the 
teachers begin the lesson. About twenty-five 
minutes in all are allowed the teachers—fifteen 
for telling the story and ten for the children’s 
expression of the story. A few very soft strains 
from the piano tell the teachers when the first 
fifteen minutes are over, a few more warn them 
when twenty-three minutes have passed and at 
the end some louder music summons the 
classes to turn back as they were at the begin- 
ning. The musie continues until the children 
have brought forward whatever picture or 
other expression work they may have done, and 
once more resumed their seats. 

The next item is a hymn, which bears appro- 
priately upon the thought of the lesson. 

Now the children sit and the music changes 
once more. A march is started, the door is 
opened by the door-keeper, and the Beginners 
enter. The others wait quietly until these have 
taken their places. 

The Birthday Exercise follows: 

“Who will have a birthday this coming 
week?” asks the superintendent as she places 
a small tray of sand and some tiny flags upon 
the table. Two hands go up, and two children 
come eagerly forward. “How shall we know 
how old Mary and Harry are this week?” “Let 
them put up flags,” comes the answer. So 


The Session Program 37 


Mary picks up one flag after another and sticks 
them into the sand until there are six, the other 
children counting all the while. “How old is 
Mary?” “Six years old,” all respond. Now it 
is Harry’s turn. He puts in eight flags. “Eight 
years old,” comes the information from the 
class. “What shall we wish Mary and Harry?” 
asks the superintendent. “Many happy returns 
of the day,” is the hearty answer. Then all the 
heads are bowed and the following prayer 
offered together*: 
“ Another happy birthday, 
To some of us is given, 


Then let us thank the Father 
For all His gifts from Heaven. 


“Oh, be His love and mercy 
To these dear children near, 
And keep them safe and happy, 
Through this and every year.” 


Now it is time to get ready for the “Good- 
by Song.” The four-year-old Beginners join 
hands, and make a ring with the superintendent 
around the table. The five-year-olds join 
hands, as they stand at their places, and all 
sing: “Our Sunday-school is over,”’} etc. As 
each good-bye is sung, the children bow to one 


*By Kate T. Sizer, in “Sunday Songs for Little 
Singers.” 
*“Sunday Songs for Little Singers.” 


38 The Primary Department 


another and to their teachers, and the teachers, 
of course, respond. When the song is ended 
all the heads bow quietly, and the following 
benediction is repeated by all. 


Into Thy loving care, 

Into Thy keeping, 

Thou who art everywhere, 
Take us we pray.” (Adapted.) 


A moment of silence follows. Then the 
four-year-olds go back to their places, and all 
the children leave the room quietly, to the 
strains of the same march used for entering. 
The teachers help them on with their coats, 
and send them happily home. 


CHAPTER VII 
PROGRAMS FOR THE BEGINNERS CLASSES 


During the regular session of the Primary 
Department the Beginners spend a certain time 
in their own rooms. If they leave the primary 
room just before the taking of the offering— 
and it is often desirable that they should do 
this, especially if the primary room is crowded 
—they will have about forty minutes by them- 
selves before it is time to return for the closing 
exercises. In order to make the best use of 
this time the leader of each Beginners’ class 
should draw up a definite program every 
Sunday. The exercises of each Sunday will, of 
course, depend upon the lesson for the day. 

The following program for a four-year- 
old Beginners’ Class is arranged to suit a les- 
son based upon a course for Beginners out- 
lined by Professor Pease.* 

1. Class Greeting—The march from the 
Primary Department room has made a pleas- 
ant change and rest for the little ones, espe- 
cially if it has been added to by a march 

*“Outline of a Bible School Curriculum,” by Geo. 
W. Pease. 

39 


40 The Primary Department 


about the class-room. Now the children and 
the teacher form a circle in the center of the 
room, and, joining hands, sing a very epee 
welcome song.* 


“A welcome to you, 
A welcome to you; 
A welcome, dear children, 
A welcome to you.” 


2. Offering.—It will be remembered that 
the four-year-old children do not use chairs 
in their class-room, but sit upon a rug. The 
teachers and helpers, of course, sit on the 
floor with them. When all are seated com- 
fortably, still in the circle, the money-box is 
brought forward and placed in the center of the 
ring. Perhaps on the outside of it is pasted a 
picture of a child in ragged clothes, a boy with 
a crutch, or some other object illustrating the 
particular purpose to which the money is de- 
voted. The children get their pennies ready, 
and come forward, one at a time, to drop them 
into the box, returning directly to their places. 
At the end all the heads are reverently bowed 
and the blessing is asked. 


*Adapted from words of song No. 1, in “Song 
Stories for the Sunday School,” by Patty §S. and 
Mildred J. Hill. 


Programs for the Beginners Classes 41 


“Bless the pennies that we bring Thee, 
Give them something sweet to do; 
May they help someone to love Thee, 
Father, may we love Thee, too.” 


3. Lesson.—The story time (about ten 
minutes) comes next. The children listen to 
it, still seated in a ring on the floor. The story 
is one of a group illustrating how God provides 
a winter rest for some animals—the story of 
the dormouse. The children learn how the 
dormouse lives in the summer time; how it 
stores up food for the winter; how, when at 
last the cold weather comes, it curls up in its 
hole for the long winter rest, only waking up 
occasionally to take a bite to eat. 

4. Nature Illustration of the Story.—A 
small cage containing a dormouse fast asleep 
in the straw in the little loft at the top is now 
shown the children. They see on a little 
shelf below the loft a nibbled apple, which 
the dormouse has fed upon at night. The 
teacher tells them that if they can be quite, 
quite still, so that the dormouse will not be 
disturbed, they may have a peep at it. She 
then lifts the cover and gently takes out in the 
palm of her hand the little round ball of fur, 
holding it so that all may see. (This can be 
done quite easily without waking the dor- 
mouse if care is taken, and will serve to show 


42 The Primary Department 


how very fast asleep the tiny creature is.) 
After putting it gently back the teacher allows 
the children to help her open the lower door 
of the cage, brush out the floor and the shelf, 
take away the old food and substitute fresh. 

5. Physical Expression of the Story—When 
the cage is safely back in its place the teacher 
and children decide that they, too, will be 
dormice. She allows them to scamper away 
to different parts of the room and curl up by 
themselves for a long winter sleep. Now for 
a little while, save for an occasional gentle 
disturbance, when some little dormouse wakens 
up to have a bite of food, there is perfect still- 
ness in the room, 

6. Lesson Prayer.—When the dormice have 
turned back into children, the ring is formed 
once more. All the hands are folded and the 
heads bowed while the children repeat after 
the teacher: 


“Loving Father, hear our prayer, 
Keep within Thy loving care 
All the animals that sleep 
In their soft beds snug and deep. 
Shelter from the winter storm 
All the dormice; keep them warm.” 


(Adapted from Miss Wilse’s winter prayer.) 


7. Class Farewell.—Now all join hands and 
sing together the class “Good-bye.” 


“SY3NNIDSS O10 YV3SA YNOS SHL 


Programs for the Beginners Classes 43 


“ Good-bye to each dear little friend, 
The happiest hour must have an end; 
Good-bye to you, our teacher dear, 
Good-bye till next we meet you here.” 
(Adapted from “Goodby Song” in “Songs for Lit- 
tle Children,” by Eleanor Smith.) 


Following this the children march directly 
from their circle to the Primary Department 
room for the closing exercises with the other 
children. 


A PROGRAM FOR THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD CLAss. 


Unlike the four-old-year Beginners, the five- 
year-old children use chairs in their class-room. 
When the children enter the room, these chairs 
are arranged in a row against the wall. Thus 
plenty of space is left for marching or any other 
physical exercise which may take place before 
the story time. 

1. Welcome.—The class welcome is sung 
or repeated as the children stand in a ring in 
the center of the room.* 

“A welcome oh, dear children, 
A welcome be to you, 


A welcome, oh, dear children, 
To all both warm and true.” 


2. Class News.—During the next three 
or four minutes the children are allowed to tell 


* “Songs for Little People.” 


44 The Primary Department 


about the things that have happened, or they 
have seen during the week or on their way to 
Sunday-school. News concerning nature or 
connected with past lessons is especially wel- 
come. 

3. March and Collection—One child is 
chosen to stand in the center of the ring and 
hold the bowl or box. Another is chosen to 
lead the march. The children pass around the 
outside of the circle, then in a straight line 
through the center of the room, dropping in 
their pennies as they pass the box. During 
the march the children may sing the following 
march song: ; 


“To and fro, to and fro, hear the tread of little 
children; 

As they go, as they go, busy march of busy feet. 

Here and there, everywhere, joyous songs we're 


singing; 
Loud and clear, full of cheer, happy tones are 
ringing.” 
Chorus. 
“To and fro, to and fro, hear the tread of little 
children; 
As they go, as they go, busy march of busy 
feet.” * 


After a few turns around the room they 


*No 61, “Songs for Little People.” 


STORY TIME. 


Programs for the Beginners’ Classes 45 


form the ring once more. Now, with folded 
hands and bowed heads, the blessing is asked: 
“Father, to Thee our offering 
With glad and thankful hearts we bring; 
Thy blessing give, dear Lord for we 
And all we have belong to Thee.” 

4. Forming the Story Circle-—The children 
fetch their chairs and place them carefully in 
position until the circle is formed. Then all 
take their seats. 

5. Story Time.—tThe lesson story is taken 
from Jane Andrews’ “Seven Little Sisters,” 
and is intended with the others of its 
series to be an introductory course for mis- 
sionary lessons later on in the Primary De- 
partment. This is the story of the little Brown 
Baby. It is a fascinating one, all about the 
baby with the brown face and straight black 
hair, who lives among the birds and flowers 
and plays all day in the long, soft grass. She 
is put to bed at night by her mother in a little 
swinging cradle in a tree; the wind rocks her 
to sleep and the stars keep watch over her all 
the night until the rosy dawn breaks, when 
she tumbles out of bed into her mother’s arms. 
Her mother dips her in the running brook for 
a bath, and then she is ready to play again 
with her brothers and sisters, the birds and 
flowers. 


46 The Primary Department 


6. Lesson Illustration—A picture of the 
Brown Baby, a colored one, if possible, is 
shown. 

7. Lesson Expression—Now the children 
and leader gather around the large sand-tray, 
and together picture out the scene of the story 
—the home of the Brown Baby. Bits of leafy 
twigs are put in for trees, small flowers are 
planted profusely, a brook is made, and the 
Swinging cradle is swung in a tree. When 
all is complete, the children form the circle 
once more. 

8. Lesson Prayer—Now all the heads 
are bowed and the following prayer is offered. 
(This prayer should be used throughout the 
whole course of lessons on the little sisters.) 


“Lord, bless the little children, 

Wherever they may be, 

Far out on the silent prairie, 
Down by the sounding sea. 

Like flowers in the crowded city, 
Like birds in the forest free. 

Lord, bless the little children, 
Wherever they may be.” 


g. Class Farewell.—The children rise and 
march from their places to form a ring with 
joined hands outside the circle of chairs. Then 
they sing together a simple class “good-bye.” 

Various other features may be introduced 


Programs for the Beginners’ Classes 47 


into programs for the Beginners’ classes. Some 
of these are the following: 

Keeping the Weather Chart.—At the begin- 
ning of the year a large sheet of paper marked 
out in squares—one square for every Sunday 
in the year—and daintily decorated, is put upon 
the wall of the Beginners’ Room. Each Sunday, 
after a little talk about the kind of day, whether 
sunny, cloudy, stormy or snowy, one child is 
allowed to go to this chart, and, with golden, 
gray, black or white crayon, according to the 
state of the weather, fill in the section for the 
day. 

Marking the Star Roll.—In a Beginners’ 
Class, where the children are few, some 
teachers have an Attendance Roll in the 
form of a large and prettily decorated card, 
which hangs on the wall. Each child is al- 
lowed to mark his own attendance by sticking 
a golden star in the space reserved for his name. 

Class News.—As a method of telling class 
news the teacher might allow one child 
at a time to come forward and by motions 
show something that he saw on his way to 
Sunday-school. For example, flying or hopping 
birds, waving trees, someone picking flowers, 
man ringing church bell, etc., etc. 

Quieting Exercises.—These are sometimes 
useful for the little children after a march or 


48 The Primary Department 


physical expression. The following is one 
appropriate for the summer time: Let the 
fingers of one hand represent a flower, and 
those of the other hand a bee flying from 

~ flower to flower gathering nectar. Accompany 
the exercise with a low humming and let the 
humming die away gradually, as though the 
bees had ceased work and gone to sleep for 
the night. (Selected.) 

It may be well, sometimes, after the story 
expression, to have a few minutes of absolute 
quiet and rest, when all the children hide their 
faces and make believe that they are asleep. 


CHAPTER VIII 
PROGRAMS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS 


The following programs have been planned 
for special occasions in the Primary Depart- 
ment. No suggestions are made for Chil- 
dren’s Day or Anniversary Sunday, for these 
programs should be made to suit the circum- 
stances and the time of year. Primary 
Department children will get little benefit from 
general anniversary or Children’s Day exercises 
intended largely for older scholars and adults, 
and they should not be asked to take more 
than a very limited part in such. They may 
possibly be present for a short time, and en- 
gage as a department in some of their own 
usual exercises, but very special preparation 
should not be necessary. Public recitations for 
children are of doubtful value and are generally 
out of place. Nearly all such exhibitions are 
forced and unnatural, and are apt to engender 
egotism and the love of praise. It seems much 
wiser for the children to have suitable exercises 
in their own familiar rooms; and even these 
must be carefully guarded lest some foreign 
and unnatural element should get in and spoil 

49 


50 The Primary Department 


the atmosphere. Special services should tend 
to create an atmosphere even finer, more rever- 
ential and impressive, if possible, than ordinary. 


A PROGRAM FOR THANKSGIVING OR HARVEST 
SUNDAY. 


All gifts of fruit, vegetables, flowers, etc., are 
brought to the school-room on the day before. 
These, with quantities of bright leaves and 
berries, are arranged in groups to decorate the 
room in the most effective style. _Conspicuously 
at one side is placed a great sheaf of wheat 
or barley, with a sickle. Beside these lie a 
bag of flour and a loaf of bread. High above 
all, in plain lettering, hangs the motto, “Give 
thanks unto the Lord.” 


1. Openinc Marcu anp Sone. “Ring, Bells, 
Ring.” * Instead of immediately taking seats 
the children stand at their places while all sing 
the three verses of the song. 

2. ScRIpTURE READING. Psa. 136. Verses 1, 3, 4, 
25, 26. 

“©O give thanks unto the Lord: for he is good: 
for his mercy endureth forever. 

“©O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his 
mercy endureth forever. 

“To him who alone doeth great wonders: fou his 
mercy endureth forever. 


* “Sunday Songs for Little Singers.” 


Programs for Special Occasions 51 


“Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy 
endureth forever. 

“O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his 
mercy endureth forever.” 


3. PRAYER. 

Friend so gentle, kind and dear, 

Listen to Thy children here, 

While they thank Thee for Thy love, 

Shown in stars that shine above, 

Shown in frost, in cloud o’erhead, 

Shown in leaves of gold and red. 
Hear us thank Thee.* 


4. Sonc. “PraisE Him.” 


5. Brrrupay Exercist. ‘The children who have 
birthdays in the Harvest Week celebrate 
them by bringing for a thank-offering as many 
pennies as they are years old. In turn they 
drop them into the bank while the other chil- 
dren count and discover their ages. After this, 
one verse of the birthday song, “Take the 
gift of love, our Father,’ + is sung with any 
suitable change of words. 


6. BEGINNERS LEAVE. 


7. Lesson TIME. 
During which the children are told the story of 
the loaf of bread, tracing it back to God the 
Giver. 


*From Sara E. Wiltse’s “Stories for Kindergar- 
tens and Primary Schools.” 
7 “ Sunday Songs for Little Singers.” 


52 The Primary Department 


8. BEGINNERS RETURN. 


9. Sonc. “Cana Little Child Like Me?”* 

The chorus and the last two verses of this beau- 
tiful hymn may be sung with bowed heads. 

Notrre—(If the fruit, vegetables and flowers are to 
be given away, the children are now told of the 
plan. If practicable some of the older chil- 
dren should be allowed after school to assist 
in taking the different gifts to the hospital or 
the houses of families for whom they are in- 
tended.) 


10. OrrERING. To music of MHandel’s March, 
“The Harmonious Blacksmith,” * after which 
the children, still standing, softly sing to the 
closing phrase of the music. 

“ All things come from Thee, O Lord, and of 
Thine own have we given unto Thee.” 


11. BENEDICTION. 
“Father, dismiss us with Thy benediction, 
Send us with joy unto our homes to-night, 
Guard us, we pray Thee, through the hours of 
darkness, 
Keep us till morning light.” 


12. CLrostinc Marcu. 
Same as Opening March. 


A PROGRAM FOR CHRISTMAS SUNDAY. 
The true spirit of Christmas can be promoted 
among the children by arranging with them 
some time before Christmas Sunday to bring 
presents to give to the Christ-child. Sugges- 
*“Songs for Little People.” 


Programs for Special Occasions 53 


tions can be asked from the children as to the 
best way of giving to Christ. From these the 
superintendent can lead them to feel that in 
giving to the needy little ones who otherwise 
would have no Christmas happiness they are 
really giving to him. 

The Primary Department room is brightly 
decorated with quantities of holly and ever- 
green. Over the piano is suspended a group 
of Christmas bells made out of cardboard and 
silver or red paper. On the right of the super- 
intendent’s desk stands a small Christmas tree. 
The tree itself is quite bare of ornament, and 
around its foot, on the floor, is spread a sheet 
or two of white fluffy cotton wool sprinkled 
freely with tinsel powder. 


1. Orentnc Marcu. To the music of “Oh, come, all 
ye faithful.” (If desired, little bells may be rung 
to the rhythm of the music by one or two of the 
helpers.) 


2. CHRISTMAS GREETING. 
Superintendent: “A very merry Christmas to 
you, children.” 
Children: “A very merry Christmas to you, 
Miss Se 


3. A Suort Tax between the superintendent and 
children about the pretty decorations, the rea- 
son for them, the happiness caused by them, 
etc. The superintendent then quotes: 


54 


The Primary Department 


“This is the day to repeat the story 
Of the Christ-child and His glory, 
When the chiming of the bells 
Of peace on earth and goodwill tells.” 

As the superintendent repeats the third line of 
this verse the pianist and bell-ringers begin to 
play very softly some music to imitate the 
chiming of the bells. As she finishes speaking, 
this music becomes louder and forms the in- 
troduction for the Christmas Bell Song. 


. Tue Curistmas Brit Sonc: “ Hark the Bells of 


Christmas.”* 


. PRAYER: 


“Father of all, our grateful thanks we bring 
Thee : 
For this glad Christmas and its merry joy, 
For the dear Christ-child sent to us from 
Heaven, 
Given by Thy love, a little baby boy.” 


. Sonc. “The Sweetest Song that Ever Was Sung.’’* 
. ScripturRE ReEapinc. From the second chapter of 


Luke: 

“‘And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, 
behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, 
which shall be to all people. 

“For unto you is born this day in the city of 
David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

“ And suddenly there was with the angel a mul- 
titude of the Heavenly Host, praising God and 
saying: 

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth 
peace, goodwill toward men.” 


*“Songs of the Seasons.” 


Programs for Special Occasions 55 


8. OrreriInc. The children march around the room 
and drop their pennies into a small, holly-decor- 
ated basket. This basket is then hung upon the 
Christmas tree by the child who has held it. 


9. BEGINNERS Marcu Out to their own class-rooms. 


10. TeacHers Take Terr Cxasses for telling the 
Christmas story of the Christ-child born in the 
manger at Bethlehem, and of the ‘wise men 
who came to visit Him, bringing their gifts. 
After fifteen minutes the music summons the 
classes to turn back into rows once more. 


11. BecINNERS RETURN. 


12. ExprESSION OF THE Lesson. For this Sunday the 
expression of the lesson in all the classes—Be- 
ginners included—is conducted by the superin- 
tendent. This consists of the “giving” exercise. 
The superintendent questions the children briefly 
upon the story just told them and draws from 
them that the wise men brought birthday gifts 
to the Christ-child. “What were the gifts? and 
what have we brought to-day to celebrate the 
birthday of the Christ-child? Let us stand up 
and sing the ‘giving’ song, and then bring up our 
gifts and place them upon the tree.” 


13. Sonc. “ ‘Give,’ said the little stream.”* 

The children and teachers now rise, and, march- 
ing round the room to the same music, the 
“giving” song, hang their gifts upon the 
branches of the Christmas tree, or if they hap- 


pen to be too heavy, place them upon the floor 
at its foot. 


*“Sunday Songs for Little Singers.” 


56 The Primary Department 


14. Tue Bregsstnc. When they have resumed their 
seats the superintendent and children discuss how 
they can truly give these gifts to the Christ-child, 
and forthwith the children are told of the par- 
ticular plan formed for their distribution. A 
blessing ‘upon the gifts is now asked of the 
Heavenly Father. 


“ Bless, O Lord, the offering 

Which thy children lay 

At thy feet rejoicing 
On this Christmas day. 

With each gift we bring thee 
Wealth of love untold; 

In thy loving service. 
Keep us, young and old.” (Adapted.) 


15. Sonc. The Christmas Manger Hymn.* 
“ Away in a manger, no crib for his bed, 
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head; 
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay, 
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay. 


“The cattle are lowing, the dear Baby wakes, 
But the little Lord Jesus no crying he makes; 
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the 
sky, 
And stay by my crib, watching my lullaby.” 


16. BenEpiction. “Glory to God in the highest, and 
on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” 


A PROGRAM FOR EASTER SUNDAY. 


The Primary Department room is made beau- 
tiful with plants and flowers. These are the 


*“Songs for Little People.” 


Programs for Special Occasions 57 


chief features in the decorations, and the pre- 
dominating colors are white and green, with a 
touch of gold. The piano is banked around 
with palms and other green plants, and pots 
and vases of white flowers are placed in effec- 
tive positions. There are at least one or two 
pots of the beautiful scented Easter lily. 
Green or white crepe paper is very useful for 
trimming the flower-pots and tables. The chil- 
dren are allowed to help towards this decora- 
tion by bringing beforehand all the white flow- 
ers they can find, especially the newly-awak- 
ened ones. The decoration is completed by 
the simple motto, “Christ is risen,” lettered in 
gilt and placed high on the wall behind the 
superintendent’s table. 
1. Openinc Marcu. The children enter the room to 

the music of “Christ the Lord is risen to-day.” 
2. Greetinc. After which the superintendent talks 

with the children about the happy Easter time, 

and suggests that by-and-by, in the story-time, 

they shall hear why the Easter time is such a 

happy one. Now she recites: 

“On this happy Easter day, 
Little children sing 


Joyous songs of love and praise 
Unto Christ, the King.” 


3. Easter Carot. The piano chord is struck and the 
children rise and sing the Easter Carol. “From 
many a tower both far and near.”* 


* “Songs for Little People.” 


58 The Primary Department 


4, PRAYER. 
“Lord, who lovest little children, 
Hear us as we pray to thee.” 


“Hear us thank thee, kindest friend, 
For the Spring-time thou dost send; 
For the warm sunshine and rain, 
For the birds that sing again, 
For the sky so clear and blue, 
For this Easter Sunday, too, 
Hear us thank thee.’’* 


5. Sonc. The Springtime song, “The Happy Birds 
are Singing.” + 


6. BrrtHpay Exerciser. Have ready a box full of 
earth, decorated prettily with white crepe paper, 
and a packet of good-sized flower seeds, nastur- 
tium, for example. As the birthday child comes 
to the front, place these on the table and allow 
him to plant as many seeds as he is years old. 
The other child may count while he does this. 
The box can be kept in the Sunday-school room 
and watched from Sunday to Sunday until the. 
plants have flowered. Then it might be sent on a 
little errand of love to some sick or aged person. 
A birthday blessing is pronounced after the 
planting of the seeds: 


7. Praise Sone. “ Praise Him, Praise Him! all ye 
little Children.” + 


*From Sara E. Wiltse’s “Stories for Kindergarten- 
ers and Primary Schools,’ Ginn & Co., publishers. 


f+ “Sunday Songs for Little Singers.” 


11. 


12. 


13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 


1 


Programs for Special Occasions 59 


. CRADLE EXxeRcISE, with prayer: 


“God, our Father, how we thank thee 
When the tiny babes we see; 
And we know that as we help them, 
We are really helping thee.”* 


. Becinners Go to their own class-rooms. 
10. 


OFFERING FoR TEACHERS. This may be taken up by 
the birthday child. Have the offering basket 
decorated in green and white. 


CuiLpren’s Orrerinc. The children march around 
as usual and deposit their pennies in the basket 
now held by another child who stands at the 
front. 


Lesson Time. During which the children are told 
the story of Christ’s resurrection. Afterwards the 
lesson picture is shown by the superintendent. 
Either of the following pictures is good: “KEas- 
ter Morning,” by Plockhorst, and “Holy Wom- 
en at the Tomb,” by Alex. Ender. 


Scripture Reapinc. Mark 16; 1-6. 

BEcINNERS RETURN. 

Sonc. “ Happy Little Children.”+ 

CLosinc Sonc, The Easter Carol used for the 
opening song. 


BENEDICTION. 
“Dear Father, ere we part, we lift our hearts to 
thee 


*From Cradle Song, by Nora C. E. Byrne and E. 
Rawdon Bailey, No. 30, in “Sunday Songs for 
Little Singers.” 

+“Sunday Songs for Little Singers.” 


60 The Primary Department 


- 


In gratitude and praise, for blessings full and 


free. 

Go with us to our homes, watch o’er and keep 
us there, 

And make us one and all the children of thy 
care.” * 


18. CLosinc Marcu. The same as the opening march. 


A PROGRAM FOR FLOWER OR CRADLE SUNDAY. 


Flower or Cradle Sunday is a summer fes- 
tival for the Primary Department children; it 
is a time of rejoicing because of the beauty of 
the earth, and also the occasion when the 
Cradle babies are all brought to Sunday-school 
for the Cradle exercise. Some schools may 
wish to make this Promotion Day as well. 

The decorations of the room should be 
rather extensive, but they need not be costly. 
They should consist mainly of flowers, and 
these are plentiful in the summer-time. Most 
of the flowers should be supplied by the chil- 
dren themselves, with perhaps the help of the 
teachers. A good idea would be to organize a 
flower gathering expedition for the day before; 
each teacher taking her little class into the 
country to gather the wild flowers. All 
the flowers should be left at the school on 
Saturday evening to be arranged for the 


*“Sunday Songs for Little Singers.” 


Programs for Special Occasions 61 


following day. All kinds and colors of flowers 
should be accepted. Wonders can be done 
with the poorest by careful arranging. Green 
plants (palms, ferns, etc.) should be borrowed 
and banked against the superintendent’s table 
‘and the piano to form a background to set off 
the cut flowers. The Cradle Roll should be 
festooned with blooms. Beneath it might be 
placed a real baby’s cradle elaborately trimmed 
in the same way. 


1. OpeninG Marcu. Page 62 in “Songs of the Seasons,” 
2. SUPERINTENDENT'S GREETING. 


3. PRAYER: 
“ Father in Heaven, bie thy little children, 
Gathered before tee on this happy day. 
For the morning sunshine, for the day we thank 
thee, 
Oh, Sun of Love, shine in our hearts,we 
pray.” 
4, Brpte READING. Psalm 118: 24, 29 
“This is the day which the Lord hath made: we 
will rejoice and be glad in it. 
“O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: 
for his mercy endureth forever.” 


5. Sonc. “All the Happy Children.” * 
“All the happy children gladly join our song, 
Rising to the Father in a chorus strong. 
Birds are brightly singing, leaves are opening 
wide, 
Flower bells are ringing forth on every side. 
*“ Songs for Little People.” 


62 The Primary Department 


“See the sky above us, spread so warm and blue; 
So God’s love is reaching over me and you. 
Father, dear, we thank thee for long summer 

days, 
For the birds and flowers, for the grassy ways. 


“All the happy children thank thee, Father, dear, 
For this day for children out of all the year. 
We would still remember we are thine alone, 

He who made the summer, made us every one.” 

At the third line of the second verse the children 
bow the heads and fold the hands. 


6. Brrrupay ExercisE. The birthday child is given 
as many flowers as he is years old. as he stands 
before the class. 

The following prayer is used: 
“Our Father, we thank thee 
That all the year through 
Thy goodness hath blessed him (her) 
With gifts ever new. 


“Our Father, we pray thee 
Be thou ever near, 
And oh, do thou give him (her) 
A happy new year.” 


7%. BEcINNERS LEAVE, singing as they go. 


8. ProcEssIONAL AND OFFERING. The march should be 
a special one, something more than the ordi- 
nary weekly march; for example, winding in 
and out between the rows of chairs. 

9. Lesson Time. Tell the children the story of the 
glad day long ago, when Jesus took the lit- 
tle ones in his arms and blessed them. As 


10. 


a 


12. 


13. 


Programs for Special Occasions 63 


illustration of the lesson show a copy of Plock- 
horst’s or Hofmann’s “Christ Blessing Little 
Children.” 


ScrreturE READING AND REPEATING OF THE GOLDEN 
TEXT. 

Matt. 19: 13, 14, 15, is read by the superintend- 
ent and verse 14 once more repeated by all. 


Lesson Sonc. “I think when I read that sweet 
story of old.” 


CrapLe Exercise. The mothers must be invited 
beforehand to bring the Cradle babies for the 
brief Cradle Roll exercise. The tiny ones enter 
and are welcomed by the superintendent, while 
the children sing the pretty Cradle Song, “ Babies 
One Year Old.”* Then each mother is given a 
flower for her baby. Immediately after this the 
babies are taken away. 


CLosinc Prayer. The last verse of the song, “All 
the Happy Children.” 

“ All the happy children thank thee, Father, dear, 
For this day for children, out of all the year. 
We will still remember we are thine alone, 

He who made the summer made us every one.” 

*“ Sunday Songs for Little Singers.” 


CHAPTER IX 
THE LESSON 


The Primary Department teacher is apt to 
fall into the error of trying to teach far too 
much. Many of us insist upon forcing on the 
children truths and facts which they are far 
from ready to assimilate. We are anxious to 
see a flower where we have no right to expect 
more than a bud; we can not be content to 
work according to the law of God written in 
the child’s nature. This law decrees that the 
child must develop always by exercise which 
is in harmony with his nature and proportioned 
to his strength. The young child should not 
be given a great deal of memory work, adult 
theology, formal rules for living, abstract warn- 
ings, exhortations, and admonitions; he craves 
ideals, heroes to worship and live with, 
something from the wonder world about 
which his imagination can play. What shall 
we give him? Stories—image-forming mate- 
rial out of which he can make his pictures and 
create his ideals. There can be little doubt 
that this “golden method,” story-telling, is the 
ideal one for teaching nature and the Bible to 
64 


The Lesson 65 


Primary Department children. The child 
revels in the well-chosen and well-told story. 
Not only does he lose himself in it as he hears 
it told, but he keeps it with him, living in it, 
assimilating and interpreting it from day to 
day. 

Somehow, many of us who are Sunday- 
school teachers are afraid to trust a story to do 
its work, or perhaps we underestimate the 
power of the child-mind to make its own infer- 
ences. At the end of the story we find it neces- 
sary to tack on a moral and do our own little 
bit of personal preaching. Provided our story 
is carefully chosen and skilfully told, we need 
have no fear that the children will fail to grasp 
the moral truth contained in it) Susan Blow 
tells us that the child may be trusted to make 
his own deductions. Dr. Walter L. Hervey 
has said: “One of the very first things a child 
knows is how to put his finger on the moral 
in a story; and he can feel it long before he 
knows it. But that is when he is left to him- 
self. If you take the helm, ten to one he'll 
know without feeling, which is the curse of 
us all. / Better, if we must choose, that he 
feel without knowing in terms, than indulge in 
mere intellectual casuistry. 

“In your childish haste to have a crop or to 
see what was going on underground, did you 


66 The Primary Department 


ever unearth the newly-planted row of peas? 
And was that row ever so green and straight 
and thick-standing as those that had been 
left alone? But the plants of love to God and 
moral taste are tenderer than these. They 
must be shined upon, warmed, and watered 
many days before they are ready to give ac- 
count of themselves. Love is a silent thing 
before it is outspoken. True feeling has few 
words, is not self-conscious, likes not to be 
asked questions. In its own good time it wells 
up and finds vent in deeds, and even in words. 
(“The deepest thing a teacher does is to form 
taste. But all taste grows slowly, and the taste 
for godliness, for religion, is no exception. It 
is the finest and rarest of all tastes, and hence 
is the slowest and quietest of all in its develop- 
ment. 

“But did you ever see in the hot-house, shall 
-we say, of the Sunday-school, seed sown, har- 
vest reaped and cakes taken from the oven 
within the limits of a single half hour? 


<4 "Ok * * * 


"There need be no fear, then, that the chil- 
dren will not feel, and in time know, the mean- 
ing, for them, of their stories and pictures. 
And a wise teacher well knows the ways of 
helping them: by questioning, not directly, and 


The Lesson 67 


by hiding the moral so near the surface that 
it will come forth of itself.” 

But in order that the child’s mind may de- 
velop naturally and harmoniously, he must do 
more than simply acquire and interpret the 
material which we present to him. It is not 
enough even that his delight, love, and sym- 
pathy are aroused. He must have opportunity 
to express, to give forth, to work out, in some 
definite form, that which he has made his own. 
“A mental act is not complete until it has 
expressed itself by means of the motor appa- 
ratus.? The child must truly learn by doing. 
The day-school kindergartner recognizes this 
and provides the little ones under her care 
with as much opportunity for self-expression as 
she sees that they need. The Sunday-school 
teacher must follow this excellent example. 
‘Of course, she will meet with difficulties at 
once, partly because the children are with her 
for one short session only during the week, and 
partly because of the lesson material with 
which she has to work. She will have to give 
much careful study to this problem and exercise 
great wisdom in working it out. She cannot 
hope always to give the children opportunity 
for a complete expression of themselves con- 
cerning the story. Indeed, there are some 
stories which, because of their sacredness, she 


68 The Primary Department 


will not dare to more than tell the chil- 
dren. But usually she can provide for some 
definite muscular activity through which the 
story can be at least more securely fixed in the 
mind. One of the widest open doors to her is 
play. In the Beginners’ classes, where the lit- 
tle ones are taught almost entirely through the 
nature stories, this method can be used fre- 
quently. Suppose, for example, the children 
have a lesson on the squirrel. They have seen 
what he looks like, how he sits up, runs, nib- 
bles, etc. (A nature story should, whenever 
possible, be illustrated from life.) They have 
heard how he lives, how the family is pro- 
vided for, how he goes to sleep in the winter 
time. The natural desire of each child now is 
to play that he is a squirrel in order that he 
may understand more perfectly. Susan Blow 
says: “The hunger to comprehend impels the 
child to reproduce in pantomime the life 
around him. In their activities things show 
what they are, and the reproduction of the 
activity is the first step towards the under- 
standing of the activity.” Stories from the 
Bible, such as that of David, the shepherd boy, 
and his care of the sheep, can be delightfully 
played out by the child. If the story has been 
well told he will enter into every detail of it. 
Of course, such complete games can only be 


The Lesson 69 


allowed in the Beginners’ classes, where the 
little ones have rooms to themselves during 
the lesson time. /The older children of the 
Primary.Department can, however, do some- 
thing in the way of pretending, even in the cir- 
cle of their own little classes. Suppose, for 
example, that on Harvest Sunday the story of 
Ruth gleaning in the harvest-field is told to the 
children of six, seven, and eight years of age. 
The teacher pictures out vividly how Ruth 
_ gleaned in the sun bit after bit of barley until 
she had a large bundle; how she sat down 
beneath a shady tree, and, taking two stones, 
crushed out between them the tiny kernels 
from each ear, placing them, handful by hand- 
ful, in her veil, until the last ear was threshed 
and the whole was ready to take home to the 
mother, Naomi. The children now have the 
picture impression of Ruth’s action. But 
unless this impression can promptly pass over 
into expression, half the good of it will be lost. 
It is the teacher’s opportunity, therefore, to see 
that some means of expression is provided. 
She can perhaps give each child a few ears of 
barley or wheat, and let him thresh out the 
grains by rubbing them in his hand, pretend- 
ing the while that he is Ruth threshing for the 
mother Naomi. This is very simple and can 
be managed easily in the little classes. The 


70 The Primary Department 


class teacher must, of course, be provided be- 
forehand with enough ears of barley for her 
scholars and an empty sand-tray to receive the 
scraps. 

There are many stories which can be given 
forth by the children from six to eight years 
of age through freely drawing a picture of the 
story; by making the scene of it in the little 
individual sand-tray; by modeling in plasticine, 
or cutting out of paper some object near the 
heart of the story. After hearing the story of 
Naaman’s little maid, for example, the children 
can draw with pencils and colored crayons their 
own ideas concerning it. They will delight in 
making in the sand-tray the rocky road from 
Jerusalem to Jericho, where the poor traveler 
fell among thieves. The teacher should keep 
in mind that in all these activities the children 
inust be left as free as possible to work out 
their own ideas in their own fashion. It is 
only in this way that they can really become 
self-expressive. The young teachers are often 
apt to do too much for the children, to direct 
and help them far more than necessary; they 
should be warned against this. 

The plasticine and paper-cutting comes into 
use much less frequently than the drawing and 
sand-tray work. Occasionally, when there has 
been some such lesson as that of Rebekah at 


The Lesson 71 


the well giving the servant of Isaac to drink, 
the children might perhaps model an object 
very near to the heart of the story, such as the 
pitcher from which the servant drank; but 
even here paper and pencil or the sand-tray 
would allow more scope for self-expression. 
Such lessons as the resurrection and the 
Christmas story are among those which it is 
unwise to allow the children to picture out in 
any of these ways. If, however, the story of 
the Wise Men is told, an expression such as 
that suggested in the program for Christmas 
on page 53 might be used to very good advant- 
age. 

Much watchfulness should be employed 
where the children express by drawing the 
stories of the life of Christ. If among the older 
boys and girls the slightest tendency appears to 
consider a picture of Christ in the light of a 
caricature some other form of expression must 
be used for these lessons. 


CHAPTER X 
THE TRAINING CI.ASS 


To be really successful, teacher-training must 
be specialized. It is not enough, nor half 
enough, that the Primary Department teachers 
should meet with those of other departments 
for the study of the Sunday lesson. To begin 
with, the lesson is probably not the same for 
all departments; if it is, in nine cases out of 
ten, it ought not to be. Again, the teachers are 
very young, most of them under twenty, and 
they must have special attention and help. 
They need a Bible Class, and, more, they need 
to be taught how to teach the lesson to the lit- 
tle child. All this they should get in a training 
class of their own, under the direction of a spe- 
cial leader. This leader should, if at all pos- 
sible, be the superintendent of the Primary De- 
partment. 

The feeling has been too long prevalent in 
our Sunday-schools that in teaching a class 
one is conferring a favor upon both the class 
and the school. This is surely looking from the 
wrong point of view. It should rather be con- 
sidered a privilege, and a high one, to help in 

72 


THE FIVE YEAR OLD BEGINNERS. 


The Training Class 73 


the education of the children. We lower the 
standard of our Sunday-school work when we 
beg for volunteers from the church to come 
and teach in the Primary class. Young peo- 
ple of our Senior classes should be taught to 
feel that an honorable and much-coveted posi- 
tion awaits them in the Primary Department 
if they can become competent to fill it. They 
should be led to understand, moreover, that no 
one may undertake the work of a teacher in the 
Primary Department unless he is willing to 
abide by all the conditions involved. And it will 
be found necessary to have very definite condi- 
tions laid down. These conditions must be 
considered as important and as binding as any 
day-school or business regulations. The first 
of these should demand regular attendance 
at the Training Class. Of course, the best 
way to obtain regular attendance is to make 
the training class really worth while and to 
keep the program alive and interesting. But 
with the young teachers of the Primary De- 
partment something rather more is called for. 
The teacher who is absent from the Training 
Class must not be allowed to take his class on 
the following Sunday; he must give it up to a 
helper for that day. This rule is in operation 
in more than one Sunday-school and is found 
to work well. If a teacher is obliged to be 


74 The Primary Department 


absent often from both Training and Sunday- 
school class, he must be asked to resign in 
favor of one of the many young people who are 
only too eager to become teachers. To allow 
him to remain would be fair neither to the 
helpers who attend regularly, nor to the chil- 
dren in his class. 

Whenever it is possible, the Training Class 
should meet on a week evening. An hour and 
a half is none too long for the session. Since 
the teachers are young, there is very much to 
do; their knowledge of the Bible is far from 
perfect, and the study of the child and how to 
teach him is large and important. 

It is a good plan to divide the Training Class 
program into four parts: 1. Devotional 
exercises. 2. Business and other details. 3. 
Some study not immediately connected with 
the Sunday lesson. 4. Preparation for teaching 
the Sunday lesson. 

Devotional Exercises. These may last about 
fifteen minutes and should consist of singing 
and prayer. They should be varied from time 
to time. 

Business and Other Details. The calling of 
the roll—the names of the officers, teachers and 
helpers are called in order by the secretary. 
Assignment of classes—the secretary reads out 
the names of those teachers who are absent, 


The Training Class 75 


and certain helpers are chosen to fill their 
places. Other details include such affairs as 
the appointment of a committee to prepare 
materials for the children’s expression of the 
lesson on Sunday; any reports of visitation at 
the homes of absent scholars; requests for ad- 
vice in dealing with individual children, etc., 
etc. 

Some Study not Immediately Connected 
with the Sunday Lesson. This may be a part 
of a continuous course study, such as the life 
of Christ, Old Testament History, Bible Geog- 
raphy, some study in Child Nature or Teaching 
Principles. 

Preparation for the Teaching of the Sunday 
Lesson. The lesson is, of course, looked up 
by the young teachers before coming to the 
Training Class. It is now studied more care- 
fully, and the method of teaching it is consid- 
ered under the following heads: 

(a) Determination of the Aim.—The chief 
purpose of the story—its aim—is determined. 

(b) Presentation—The lesson material is 
arranged under certain headings that it may be 
studied systematically and clearly. 

(c) Preparation—By this is meant the 
preparation of the child mind to receive the 
lesson material which is to be presented to it. 
By some means, probably by a series of ques- 


76 The Primary Department 


tions, old ideas must be called up in the child’s 
mind which will be “living forces to seize upon 
the new.” The teacher must come at some point 
of interest in the child’s experience which can 
be easily and naturally connected with the fresh 
' material. 

(d) Expression—The expression to which 
the lesson lends itself most naturally is sought 
for and decided upon. 

The Criticism Lesson is a form of lesson 
preparation very valuable to the young teachers 
and their leader. When used it must take 
up nearly the whole time of the session. The 
young teachers look forward to it with very 
keen interest. One of their number is chosen 
to teach the lesson of the following Sunday to 
a class of little children while the others listen 
and silently criticise. After the lesson the 
children are dismissed and the listeners, led 
by the training class leader, are given the op- 
portunity of expressing their opinions concern- 
ing each step of the lesson taught. This gives 
the young teachers an interest in the finer 
points of teaching. Every point of the lesson, 
to the smallest detail, must be carefully 
thought out by the one who is to teach it; he is 
well aware that the leader and his fellow- 
teachers will take him to task for the least fault. 
The criticism lesson also promotes the sys- 


The Training Class ed 


tematic study of the lesson material and 
method. Notes of the lesson must be made out 
and handed to the teacher of the training class 
by the one who is to be criticised. The leader 
reads these, criticises them, makes any needful 
suggestions, and returns them some days before 
the lesson is to take place. If the story method 
is used the headings for the notes will be some- 
what as follows: 

1. Name of Story. 

2. Age of Children. 

3. Time to be Occupied by the Whole Les- 


4. Aim of Lesson. 

5. Preparation—This, the means employed 
in preparing the minds of the children to re- 
ceive the story material, is written out in full. 
If it is a series of questions, each question is 
put down in order. 

6. Presentation—Under this head the im- 
mediate introduction to the story, the most 
climactic point or points in the story, and the 
conclusion of the story, are written out in full. 
The rest of the material is arranged shortly, 
according to facts or events, in A, B, C, order. 

7. Expression.—The materials to be used 
are enumerated. 

The criticism lesson affords the leader the 
opportunity of learning the efficiency of each 


78 The Primary Department 


young teacher, of discovering his strong and 
weak points, and of knowing how best to help 
him. It is neither convenient nor advisable 
for the leader to walk among the classes and 
listen to the different teachers as they present 
the lesson on the Sunday. There are, of 
course, other ways of testing efficiency. An 
examination of the children’s completed ex- 
pression of the lesson, especially the free draw- 
ing, will reveal the impressions which those in 
the different classes have received from their 
teachers. The superintendent’s weekly review 
with the children of the previous Sunday’s les- 
son may also be very helpful. But it is through 
the criticism lesson that the leader gains the 
insight and knowledge which enable her to 
aid the young teacher materially. Of course 
the criticism lesson is a severe test, and calls 
for extra effort, and, indeed, some courage on 
the part of the young teacher who undertakes 
it, but it is well worth the trouble it gives. 

The following suggestions as to points to be 
considered in criticising a lesson may be found 
helpful: 
I. The Lesson Material. 

1. Its value. 

(a) Intrinsic. 
(b) Relative to the interest of the chil- 
dren. 


The Training Class 79 


2. The Amount. 
(a) Sufficient to reach the aim assigned. 
(b) Within the range of the grasp of the 
children. 
II. The Lesson Method. 

1. Its suitability to the mental state of the 

children. 

2. The mental activity of the class. 

3. The formal steps followed. 

(a) Preparation: its adequacy, style. 

(b) Aim: relation to Preparation, inter- 
est aroused. 

(c) Presentation: sequence, narration. 

(d) Expression or Application; suitabil- 
ity to the material, relation to the 
aim, spontaneity, suggestiveness. 

III. Discipline. 

Attention the result of interest or formal 
discipline; the effect on the class of the man- 
ner and form of address of the teacher. 

New features should often be introduced into 
the training class program. 

One feature which has been found very in- 
teresting and helpful is that suggested by 
Marion Lawrance in his book, “How to Con- 
duct a Sunday-school.” Occasionally one of 
the teachers or helpers is appointed in advance 
to read a letter from an imaginary person who 
traveled long ago, or is traveling at the pres- 


80 The Primary Department 


ent time through the scene of the lesson for 
the Sunday. If, for example, the lesson should 
happen to be on Joseph in Egypt, the letter 
may come from some traveler in Egypt, de- 
scribing particularly the parts of the country 
most closely connected with the life of Joseph. 

In connection with a course on Bible Geog- 
raphy the large sand-trays or paper pulp might 
well be used; every young teacher should be 
able to make a physical map of Palestine by one 
of these means. It is often well, where a course 
study in the life of Christ or the life of the 
apostles is being taken up, apart from the chil- 
dren’s lesson, to give the young teachers some 
written home work to do; some questions to 
answer in connection with the portion of the 
course just studied, or perhaps a map of travels 
to make. The footsteps of Christ throughout 
his whole life could be traced in a series of 
maps. These might be enlarged and colored 
at home by the young teachers and kept for 
future reference. Again, each teacher might 
buy two or three of the cheapest editions of 
the Gospels and as the study proceeds, cut 
them up and paste parallel passages side 
by side in a scrap-book, thus forming a com- 
plete little harmony of the Gospels. 


CHAPTER XI 
HOME CO-OPERATION 


Home co-operation may be secured for the 
Primary Department by several means, but 
largely by personal visitation. 

There are three different visitors in the Pri- 
mary Department—the superintendent of the 
department, the class teacher, and the Cradle 
Roll superintendent. Through these three 
agencies the home can be kept in close touch 
with the school. The Primary Department 
superintendent should, herself, visit every home 
and become acquainted with the parents. At 
such times she can do much to secure the co- 
operation of the mother. A word with her will 
clear up any misconceptions that those in the 
home may have received concerning methods 
used in the school. She can explain just why 
it is so necessary to have the children arrive 
punctually, why it is advisable to have the 
wraps removed during the session, or why it 
is wise to add a good big pinafore to the chil- 
dren’s Sunday-school attire. She can person- 
ally give a hearty invitation to the parents to 
visit the school and see all that is going on. 

81 


82 The Primary Department 


The young teachers should visit their own 
particular scholars. They are supposed to look 
up absentees, take birthday cards to their 
scholars, deliver special notices, etc. Their 
visits are fairly frequent, and, therefore, they 
have much opportunity to become acquainted 
in the homes. 

The Cradle Roll superintendent comes into 
contact with most of the homes. Her work 
is extremely valuable in this connection. The 
mothers are particularly grateful for interest 
taken in their babies. Surely we have here a 
very wide-open door into the mother’s heart. 
The Cradle Roll superintendent invites the 
mothers to bring the babies to Sunday-school 
on their birthdays for five to ten minutes of 


* 


the session, just long enough to take part in 


the birthday celebration with the other chil- 
dren. 

A good plan is to have a parents’ social once 
a year. This should be a very informal affair, 
where the parents can meet the superintend- 
ent, teachers, and one another. 

A circular letter from the superintendent to 
the parent may, upon occasion, be very help- 
ful. For example, in a certain school, some 
time ago, the offerings were exceedingly small. 
The following letter was sent to the homes, and 
the result was most satisfactory : 


Flome Co-operation 83 


oe sieceih mentale taiMeeneT Primary Department. 


October, 1905. 
Dear Friend: 

We are anxious to promote the spirit of giving 
among the children of our Primary Department, and 
earnestly request the parents to provide the children 
with some opportunity of earning some small amount 
each week for this purpose, that they may feel free to 
give that which is trtily their own. 

We shall esteem it a favor if we may have the 
benefit of your support in this matter. 

On behalf of the officers and teachers. 


Superintendent, 


CHAPTER XII 
PRAYERS FOR USE IN THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT 


PRAYERS FOR THE SEASONS AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS. 
From ‘‘ Autumn Song,’’ by Winnifred Copus, in Kindergarten Review. 
For autumn and its treasures, 
We thank our Father true; 
For summer and its pleasures, 
For spring and winter, too. 


For every gift he sendeth™ 
To us from Heaven above, 
For everything he lendeth, 
We give him all our love. 
From ‘‘Stories for Kindergartens and Primary Schools,” by Sara E. 


Wiltse. 

Kindest Friend, we thank thee now, 
While our heads we humbly bow, 

For the summer sun and shower, 

For each bright and smiling flower. 

For grass so green and clouds so white, 
For rosy morn and dewy night, 

Hear us thank thee. 


From *‘Stories for Kindergartens and Primary Schools,” by Sara E 
Wiltse. 


Loving Friend, oh! hear our prayer, 
Take into thy tender care 

All the leaves and flowers that sleep 
In their white beds covered deep. 
Shelter from the wintry storm 

All thy snow-birds, keep them warm. 
Hear our prayer. 

84 


Prayers Jor the Primary Department 85 


From “A Song of Thanks,” by Mary G. Trask, in Kindergarten Review 
We thank the Heavenly Father 
For sunshine and for rain, 
For birds and flowers of summertime, 
For autumn’s golden grain. 


For nuts and rosy apples, 

For all things that we need; 
For father and for mother, 

We give him thanks indeed. 


For frost and snow we thank him, 
That come in winter wild; 

But most of all for Chsistmas, 
And for the dear Christ-child. 


From song by E. H. Kinney and Josephine Sherwood, in Kindergarten 
Review. 


This eve, O blessed Christmas child, 
We little ones of earth, 

In many lands and tongues will thank 
The Father for thy birth. 


GENERAL PRAYERS. 


From ae Stories for the Sunday-School,” by Patty S. and Mildred J. 
ill. 


Father, thou who carest 
For smallest tiny flowers 
And teachest bees and squirrels 
To save for winter hours, 


To thee we little children 

Our loving thanks would bring 
For all thy loving kindness 

Of all thy goodness sing. 


86 The Primary Department 


For flowers that bloom about our feet, 
For tender grass so fresh and sweet, 
For song of bird and hum of bee, 
Father in Heaven, we thank thee. 


For blue of stream and blue of sky, 
For pleasant shade of branches high, 
For all things fair we hear or see, 
Father in Heaven, we thank thee. 


For mother love and father care, 

For brothers strong and sisters fair, 
For love at home and here each day, 
Father in Heaven, we thank thee. 


Father, we thank thee for the night, 
And for the pleasant morning light, 
For rest, and food, and loving care, 
And all that makes the world so fair. 


Help us to do the things we should, 
To be to others kind and good. 

In all our work and all our play, 

To grow more loving every day. 


Father in Heaven, on this thine own day, 

We little ones meet here to praise and to pray, 
Oh, help us to please thee in all that we do, 

And worship aright with hearts pure and true. 


From “Songs and Hymns for the Primary Department.” 
We look to thee, dear Lord, and pray 
That thou wilt guide us through this day; 
From all wrong-doing keep us free, 
May we thy loving children be. 


Prayers for the Primary Department 


From “Song Stories for the Sunday-School.”” 


Father, we thank thee for the light 
Thou sendest us by day, 

For moon and stars that shine at night, 
Thou sendest, too, their ray. 


Father, we thank thee for our homes 
And all the blessings there, 

Oh, may we grow more like to thee 
In tender love and care. 


Heavenly Father, send thy blessing 
On thy children gathered here, 
May they all, thy name confessing, 

Be to thee forever dear. 


Gracious Saviour, gentle Shepherd, 
Little ones are dear to thee. 

Gathered with thine arms and carried 
In thy bosom may we be 

Surely, fondly, safely tended 
From all want and danger free. 


For this new morning with its light, 
For rest and shelter of the night, 
We thank the Heavenly Father. 
For health, and food, and loving friends, 
For everything his goodness sends, 
We thank the Heavenly Father. 


For my home and friends I thank thee, 
For my father, mother dear, 

For the hills, the trees, the flowers, 
And the sky so bright and clear. 


87 


88 The Primary Department 


Those I love wilt thou watch o’er, 
Tho’ they may be far away, 

For thou lovest little children, 
And wilt hear the prayers they say. 


From “Children’s Praise,’’ by Otis Ormsby, in “‘ Every Other Sunday.” 
In the warm sunlight of this new-born day 
We lift to thee 
Hearts glad and free, 
And praise thy wondrous ways, O God! 


AFTER LESSON PRAYERS. 


From “ Childhood Songs,” by Mira and Mabel Rowland. 


Lord, who lovest little children, 
Hear us as we pray to thee. 


Thou who lived a holy child life, 
Help us to be pure like thee. 


In our school-time and our playing, 
Make us gentle, Lord, like thee. 


Thou didst live thy life for others, 
Make us helpful, Lord, like thee. 


Thou on earth wast ever loving, 
Make us ever more like thee. 


From Song by Annie Matheson and Jas. T. Lightwood, in “Sunday 
Songs for Little Singers.”” 


Jesus, friend of little children, 
Be a friend to me, 

Take my hand and ever keep me, 
Close to thee. 


Prayers for the Primary Department 


Jesus, tender Shepherd, hear me, 
Bless thy little lamb to-night, 

Through the darkness be thou near me, 
Keep me safe till morning light. 


All this day thy hand hath led me, 
And I thank thee for thy care, 

Thou hast clothed me, warmed me, fed me, 
Listen to my humble prayer. Amen. 


Lord, when we have not any light, 
And mothers are asleep, 

Then through the stillness of the night 
Thy little children keep. 


So in the morning may we wake 
When wakes the kindly sun, 

More loving for our Father’s sake 
To each unloving one. 


OFFERING PRAYER. 


Father, to thee our offering 
With glad and thankful hearts we bring. 
Thy blessing give, dear Lord, for we all 
And all we have, belong to Thee. 


Take the gift of love, our Father, 
Use it for thy work below, 

Bless the ones who bring it to thee, 
More like Jesus may they grow. 


We give thee but thine own, 
Whate’er the gift may be. 
All that we have is thine alone, 
A trust, O Lord, from thee. 


89 


gO The Primary Department 


CRADLE PRAYER. 


From 2 pettiode Hymns in Primary and Junior Songs for the Sunday- 
chool.”” 


For parents who care for us day after day, 

For sisters and brothers, for work and for play, 

For dear little babies, so helpless and fair, 

Our Father, we send Thee our praise and our 
prayer. 


CLosING PRAYERS AND BENEDICTIONS. 


O Lord of earth and sea and stars and heaven, 
Go with us to our homes and be our guest. 

So in the darkness deep which is thy shadow, 
Thy little ones may sweetly sleep and rest. 


May the Lord above 
Guard us while we’re absent 
With his tender love. (Selected.) 


Unto God the Father, 
Bow we and adore, 
On our way rejoicing, 
Now and evermore. 


Selected from Kindergarten Review. 
May God’s exceeding love 
Enfold you, all, until his tender hand 
Shall lead you safely home, to love’s own land. 


The hours of day are over, - 
The evening calls us home, 

Once more to thee, O Father, 
With thankful hearts we come. 


Prayers for the Primary Department 


For life and health and shelter, 
From harm throughout the day, 

The kindness of our teachers, 
The gladness of our play. 


For all the dear affection 
Of parents, brothers, friends, 
To him our thanks we render 
Who these and all things sends. 


Gather thy lambs within thine arm, 
And gently in thy bosom bear, 

Keep them, O Lord, from hurt and harm, 
And bid them rest forever there. 


gi 


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for Sunday-School Workers 


Each book treats of a distinct phase of Sunday-school work, and is 
written by an expert ; it tells of how things have been done successfully, 
rather than how they ought to be done. 


No. 1. The City Sunday-School 


Its Work, Growth, Possibilities. BY FRANK L. BROWN, 
Brooklyn, N. Y., Special Commissioner sent by the International 
Committee to Japan to organize the national Sunday-school work. 
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A book filled to the covers with plans which have proved successful 
under city conditions; and an appendix contains a large number of 
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No.2. The Sunday-School and the Pastor 


BY JOHN T. FARIS, Managing Editor of The Sunday School 
Times, written while pastor of the Markham Memorial Presbyterian, 
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A book of experiences, not of theory. It tells how pastors have con- 
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No. 3. The Sunday-School and the Home 


BY FRANK L. BROWN, Brooklyn, N. Y. 25 cents, net. 


A thoroughly practical discussion of the relationship that should be 
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No. 4. The Primary Department 
BY ETHEL J. ARCHIBALD. 50 cents, net. Illustrated. 


This is a presentation of the necessary phases of a primary teacher’s 
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No. 5. The Home Department of To-Day 


BY MRS. FLORA V. STEBBINS. 25 cents, net. 

Mrs. Stebbins is widely known, as a result of many years spent in 
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The “Times’ Hand-books 
for Sunday-School Workers 


(Continued) 


No. 6. Sunday-School Records, 

Reports and Recognitions 
BY E. A. FOX, Secretary of the Kentucky State Sunday-School 
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No. 7. The Beginners’ Department 


By ANGELINA W. WRAY, author of “Jeanne Mitchell’s 
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Practical plans for the Beginners’ — = of the Sunday-school— 
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ADDITIONAL TITLES NOW IN PREPARATION. 


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vii 


